


Forget Me Not, Fruitloop

by phantomgasm



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Canon-Typical Violence, Complicated Relationships, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff and Angst, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Medical Inaccuracies, Memory Loss, Mental Health Issues, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Violence, Redemption, Separation Anxiety, Suicide Attempt, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:41:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28164144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantomgasm/pseuds/phantomgasm
Summary: When the fruitloop takes a fall, one Danny Fenton stays to help him pick up the pieces.
Relationships: Danny Fenton/Vlad Masters
Comments: 35
Kudos: 115





	1. Rise And Shine

**Author's Note:**

> FIRST OFF:  
> this fic is prewritten, but the discord server said I should upload the chapters separately to draw out the angst.  
> SECONDLY:  
> i'm sorry i havent updated lfap in a while- im really stuck at one point in the plot and it i honestly just wanted something new to work on.  
> THIRDLY:  
> i did no prior research to how memory loss works for this fic. it's probably wildly innacurate, but honestly, i just wanted something lightly angsty and fun to write. this is fiction, its not accurate yadadada. 
> 
> ADDITIONALLY:  
> danny's 18 in this (was gonna make him older, but i needed a reason for danny's parents to keep some info from danny and "hes only 18, hes still our baby" seemed good enough)
> 
> ALSO  
> raiting is mature bc of the nature of danny and vald's relationship (in the fic they arent toxic but theres...a lot to unpack with this ship) and discussions about past abuse / past stalking / mental health and suicide. all canont typical stuff outside of the last bit. 
> 
> anyways have fun

It's funny how things play out. Vlad claims to hate Dad with all his being, and yet, in the middle of dinner, Dad gets that call. Mom picks up the phone, of course, the oldest Fenton too busy shoveling food into his mouth to notice it's ringing. But they don't speak to Mom, they ask for Dad. 

They, as in whatever nurse or doctor that made the call. The one that revealed Dad to be Vlad's emergancy contact. The one that had them packing up their food- Jack Fenton, wrapping up dinner early- to head straight to the hospital. 

Danny wasn't too worried, at first. Dad always freaks out over the littlest things when it comes to Vlad. Usually in the happy, bouncy way, but Dad's always been the freak-out kind. He assumed Vlad had broken an arm or something doing some ghost related thing he shouldn't have. Danny wasn't too worried, until his parents were whispering to each other, glancing back at he and his sister like they weren't sure what to do with them. 

"What, uh, happened? He didn't have a heart attack, did he?" Danny jokes, trying to lighten the mood. It falls flat, a strained smile on his mother's lips as she shakes her head.

"No, honey, he..." She fumbles over her words, grabbing on to the dashboard when Dad makes a particularly sharp turn. Driving even more like a maniac than usual. "...fell. Off a building."

Did he get thrown off by some ghost? "How?"

"We'll talk about it when we get to the hospital."

Which, is ominous as fuck. If it were ghosts like Danny thought, Dad would be swearing to tear whatever being had laid it's hands on his so-called friend apart. Mom wouldn't look so weirdly nervous, guilty, if it had been ghosts. Did the fruitloop really manage to slip himself off a building and just, forget he could fly? Were his powers malfunctioning? If Vlad gives Danny some kind of ghost sickness that messes with the ability to use his powers, Danny's gonna pour salt in his hospital food. 

Jazz has a strange look on her face as well. More hard than Mom or Dad's, still kind of uncomfortable. Like she knows, and she doesn't want Danny to know. 

They manage to get to the hospital in one piece, despite Dad's driving. Danny hates doctors, it's part of the whole "ecto-contamination" thing. While most doctors in Amity Park now know of Danny's contamination- not Phantom, the story his parents made up to explain why his blood's all fucky and why their weapons go off around him- it's still nerve wracking to think that one ghost-competent doctor could be the end of him. 

Luckily, it's not him on the hospital bed. Though, it's still concerning, considering Danny doesn't know if Vlad's above revealing his secret on the death bed. Reason? Just to ruin Danny's life because if he can't fuck over Dad, might as well destroy his son! 

Danny plops down in a waiting room chair and of course, the doctor is right with them. Can't invoke the rage of Vlad Masters, after all. He can't quite hear what they're saying, the adults too far away for him to catch much other than comments about Vlad's remarkable healing and how lucky he is to have survived. Now Danny's a little nauseous, though he'd never admit it to himself or others. Nah, it's easier to hide under jokes of how it sucks that the cockroach just can't be squashed, or how Vlad probably broke a hip with how old he is.

Dad rushes off to the bathroom in a way that has Danny's throat closing up. Even Mom's eyes look watery as she approaches her children, "We'll probably be here a while. Why don't you go get something from the cafeteria while I fill out these papers?" 

"Do you need my help with anything?" Jazz asks, reluctant to leave their mother alone. Always playin the adult, even with the real adults.

"No, I'll be fine. Take your brother to get something to eat, he bareky touched his plate at home."

Which, roughly translates to: I need to be alone right now. Again, making Danny's stomach dip. Just what did Vlad do to pull off getting Mom upset about him? The woman who considers him a borderline sociopath, somehow distressed because of his unwellness? 

Jazz drags him by the wrist to the cafeteria. "Do you have any idea what's going on?" Danny asks, as his sister approaches one of the fridges and pulls a set of juiceboxes from it. 

She glances at him, lips stretching into a thin line. "Not really. I have a theory, but..." Handing him one of the boxes, she shakes her head. Then she moves on to the sandwhich and soup selection, because apparently that's all hospitals serve. 

"But...?"

"...It's better if we just wait for them to tell us exactly what happend." She pays for their food and guides them off to one of the many, small circular tables. Danny picks at his food, stomach still in knots. "I'm sure everything's fine." 

Picking the stale crust off of his sandwhich, Danny responds, "Then why are Mom and Dad freaking out?"

The ginger remains quiet at this. They eat in silence, few people around him chattering in their own low volumes. Hospitals are like libraries; it feels rude to speak up in them. Except, libraries are like that because people are learning. Not because people may or may not be dying. 

Vlad isn't dying. He can't die. That's another part of the whole halfa thing. Danny's lost an eye and it just..popped right back up the next day. As long as the tiniest bit of them is still present, they can regenerate completely. Like Venom. So he's not dying. Is there a ghost illness that can destroy all cells? If there is, Vlad doesn't have it, because he just got thrown off a building. And for some reason didn't fly to keep himself from plummeting to the ground. He's not dying. 

Why does Danny care? That guy's a jerk. Complete, total asshole. He's an attempted murderer and clearly needs to drink some respect women juice. The world would be better off without him. 

But Danny wouldn't. 

Ugh. Gross feelings of being the only immortal half-human to exist. Danny tells them to fuck off as he finishes his sandwhich, grimly waiting for his sister to do the same. 

When they finally return, their father is beside their mother, woman stiff as a board, man's leg jiggling like a child on too much caffeine. The two give their children quick smiles before the cornes of their lips fall downwards, eyes casted to the ground. Danny sits beside his dad, knowing he's easier to read than Mom. "Is...everything alright?"

"He's gonna be fine, sweetie. He's got ecto-contamination, like you, so he's healing pretty well for someone who fell off of a twenty-story building." Mom won't look at him when she says this, brows knit tightly on her face. Jazz is rubbing her shoulders softly, murmuring reassurances beside her. 

Why is everyone allowed to know what happened but him? Danny's not even that much younger than Jazz! He's an adult, too!

Dad glances down at him, and for the first time Danny is seeing his father look emotionally tired, not physically. When he trudges up from the lab, stained in oil and extoplasm, he's always got this satisfied shine in his eyes. Like maybe he's a bit worn out, but all that sweat came from hardwork and success. This look, however, is much duller in the ocean blue of his eyes. His limbs aren't sore from overexertion but slack with the weight of something new on his shoulders. 

"Hey, uh...he's gonna be okay," Danny inwardly slaps himself as he pats his Dad's arm. Man, he sucks at comforting people. 

The older Fenton glances down at him, with a funny..something or other in his eyes. Then, he sighs. "They don't know when he's going to wake up. Or if he will."

If. 

He has to, though. Again, immortal. Even for Vlad, being trapped in a coma-like state, never able to escape...is just cruel. Danny wouldn't wish that on anyone, he doesn't want Vlad dead or hurt. He just wanted him to stop being such a jerk. 

Danny brings his knees to his chest. "Oh."

"They said they'd call us when he does."

"Okay."

"...Let's go home."

"Okay."

* * *

Vlad wakes up two days later. 

Every second leading up to then was a nightmare. Dad and Mom locked themselves in the basement, Jazz was constantly reminding him that whatever way he was feeling was completly okay and everyone copes differently, all that psychiatrist mumbo-jumbo. Sam let him rant, Tucker kept him distracted with videogames. Ghosts were surpisingly being held at bay, though Danny would guess Vlad has a system put in place for occasions like this. Can't let ghouls run wild in his town, after all. 

Nights were spent tossing and turning because Danny can't help but worry for the cheesehead. He snuck into the hospital room as Phantom a couple of times, sitting on Vlad's chest and watching him sleep. Willing him to wake. Maybe this would teach Plasmius a lesson, would make him realize villainy gets him nowhere but hurt. Danny could only hope. 

The call comes early in the morning, allowing Danny to skip school to tag along for the ride. Jazz probably would've opted out if Danny didn't come, considering Mom and Dad have each other and while Jazz probably feels sorry for Vlad, she doesn't have any kind of attachment to him. She's mostly just there for Danny which is both annoying and worrying because he can take care of take care of himself but also because why is everyone treating this like Vlad is dead holy fuck. 

Danny probably should've guessed what happens next. Sure they're immortal, but that doesn't mean their undamagable. Last time Danny fell from one of those heights, he almost paralyzed himself and gained a tremor. Which is not cool, at all, since now all his cups have these weird little suction things on the bottom so he doesn't end up accidentally knocking them over, and writing is a nightmare. At least now he has a proper excuse for late homework. 

But it just seemed so...wrong. Vlad's stronger than anyone he's ever fought, scarier too. Danny has never beat him, not on his own. And he's not an idiot, he knows the man holds back when they fight. If Vlad wanted, he couldn've killed him. There's a reason why Vlad suddenly is a bit easier to fight with, when during their first fight, the fruitloop pretty much wrecked him. 

So when the doctors tell them that Vlad has lost a good portion of his memories, it hits him harder than a bag of bricks. Suddenly he feels like he'd been filled to the brim with ice cold water, disbelief gripping his mind. There's no way, right? This has got to be some kind of trick, something he can use to get close to Danny's family easily so he can take them down easier. 

But when they enter the room, Vlad doesn't have that look behind his eyes anymore. The harsh one of a man who's been hardened by everything he's been through and everything he's done to stay at the top. Vlad has his chin resting on his knees, vunerable in a way the Vlad Danny knows would never let anyone see. Especially not Jack Fenton. Those stormy blue eyes don't narrow at the slightest when they meet Dad's, in fact, they light up. "Jack?"

"Hey, Vladdie," Dad's voice is so soft, like when Danny was younger and would stumble into the living room after a nightmare, seeking comfort. It's weird, everything about this is weird and foreign and Danny hates it. Vlad looks to Mom, but that posessive, gross sparkle is missing. His eyes pass over Jazz, then land on Danny. And there's nothing. No recognition, no taunting smirk, nothing. 

Back to Dad, Vlad responds, "you look old." And it doesn't sound like an insult. No, it much more sounds like when Jazz would poke fun at Danny, and vice versa. There's even that dumb, snarky smile on his lips, malice completely missing from his face. 

Dad snorts, "says the one with gray hair."

"I pull it off well. Is that Maddie?"

Mom puts on a tired smile, "in the flesh." 

"And who are they?" He gestures to the teens, raising a brow at the way Danny wraps his arms around his chest, discomfort clear on his face. Jazz wraps an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close, and he keeps his eyes fixed on the floor. 

"Those are our children," Mom explains, sounding nervous. As if afraid the relavation will kick their old friend from the bed and bring back the monster that he grew into. "Your godchildren. Jazz and Danny."

He blinks, eyes wide. But he doesn't ask the expected, you two got married? And have children? No, it's, "I have...god children?" 

"Wouldn't have anyone else godfather my kids," Dad laughs, finally seeming comfortable enough to sit on the edge of Vlad's hospital bed. Mom follows, leaning on his shoulder, and Vlad doesn't pull away from them. Nor does he tell Dad to get off of his bed. 

Vlad's eyes are so lit up, so fascinated by the sight in front of him. Like he's happy for his friends, elated by the idea of being a part of their family, despite not being the one at Mom's side. He waves the two younger Fenton's over, "come here, let me get a look at you two." It's so wrong, his smile isn't supposed to be like that. Sure he never liked Danny before but there was something there, they were...Vlad viewing him as a child, his godchild, makes him feel so icky. 

Jazz guides them over, Danny stiff as a board. Vlad smiles at them, really smiles, all soft. His lips are moving but Danny can't hear him. The boy is stuck under water, everything feeling much further than it is. When a large hand rests gently on his shoulder, not gripping to keep him from running off, he yanks away. His feet are already taking him as far as possible from the stranger in that room, ignoring the shout of his name behind him. He runs until he realizes he has no idea where he is, in a completely different area of the hospital. 

Sitting on a nearby bench, he swallows hard. Why is it bothering him so much that Vlad isn't Vlad? If anything, that's a good thing. No more evil schemes, no more flirting with Mom. Danny wouldn't have to deal with his bullshit ever again. 

Except that, he still did all those things. He still relentlessly harassed Danny and his family, he still gave Danny nightmares and other atrocities. All of that, only for Danny to not get so much as an apology from the person who hurt him. If he asked for one from the Vlad on that hospital bed, he'd get one without hesitation, but it'd be lackluster. That man doesn't remember hurting Danny. It wouldn't be Plasmius apologizing to Phantom. 

And all those times where Vlad wasn't quite a monster, the days where he would show up for dinner and just be normal. The times where Danny would show up and claim to be making sure Vlad wasn't up to no good but was actually just hanging around because he was lonely and his parents were always busy; Vlad's irritaed sigh as he tolerated Danny watching him work. All of that, the days that made Danny think they were going somewhere, is gone. Vlad just...skipped over his own redemption arc and now Danny doesn't even know him anymore. 

Mom finds him a bit later, sits down beside him. "Hey, honey."

"..."

"You worried us," she continues, forcing him to look up at her. "I know, it's..weird. He's not exactly the Vlad you know."

Danny scoffs, "far from it." 

Giving him a lop sided smile, she says, "but he's still Vlad. I know you two were- well, I know he bothered you and you tolerated him," that finally gets the slightest chuckle from her son, which he's sure she's mentally punching the air at, "and I'm sure it hurts a little that he doesn't remember you. But the doctors said it's possible he could regain some of his memory. Besides, he's family. Even if he is a complete creep, we have to take care of him."

That's a horrible way to think of things, Danny's mind cringes, however, his shoulders go slack. Yeah, even if Vlad has decided to forget their entire past together and is now totally different, Danny kind of has to stick around. The fruitloop still has powers, after all, and he can't let history repeat itself by avoiding the man and letting him figure that kind of stuff out on his own. Mom's probably thinking the same way; better to offer the amnesiac a place in her home, so that he doesn't end up returning to his monsterous ways the moment he feels left behind. 

Still...it hurts, in a way that he can't explain, that there is nothing when Vlad looks at him. Sure, the weird fondness Vlad felt for him was kinda creepy but it was also comforting in a way. They're two of a kind, after all. Eventually, Danny wanted to be able to get along with the man, to make peace with him. If not simply because he thinks everyone, including Vlad, worthy of love and a second chance, then because if no one wants him, if everyone dies, he'd always have Vlad.

Which is pathetic, and selfish. But hey, Vlad's always selfish. Shouldn't Danny have a turn at the wheel? Not like he's ever going to admit that his guilty pleasure is Vlad ruffling his hair. Nope, that's a road he'll cross when he isn't eighteen and nowhere near comfortable with his sexuality. Girls? Danny likes girls. Yep, all the ones Tucker likes because Tucker is straight so those are the girls he's supposed to like. And Sam, duh. Everyone says he should like Sam, so he he thinks she's pretty. That's how attraction works, right?

Whatever. Now is not the time to hear Dash calling him slurs in the back of his mind. 

"Come on, kiddo. Let's head back, before Jazz freaks out." 


	2. Check Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> problem: my phone is refusing to paste formatted text and my writing style NEEDS italics. so thats annoying as hell.  
> i edited and added italics in ao3 on the most needed scenes, but unfortunately you will no longer be able to enjoy my spicy slanted text for most of the fic :(

Instead of Vlad moving in with them, everyone decides it would be best if they moved in with Vlad. Bigger house, it's where all his stuff is so it might jog his memory. All that fun stuff. 

Being around a non-malicious Vlad all the time is...weird. He hovers, mostly around Danny which is weird since he can't remember anything about him. But around Dad, too. Clinging to them both and constantly fidgeting- Vlad didn't fidget before. He always sat still as a statue, eyes cold and teeth shark-like. This isn't that Vlad, though, and Danny has to remind himself of that every time he turns around only to see the man right behind him, looking uncomfortable and confused. Like he does remember, but whatever he's picturing is too blurry for him to understand. 

When Dad leaves the room, Vlad gets even more discomforted, gluing himself to Danny's side. Like if he can't see the two, they're gone and they're never coming back. It makes sense, because no amount of memory loss can get rid of the deeply ingrained abandonment issues, which is fucking sad and even worse now that Vlad isn't using it to justify treating people like shit. Luckily, the whole, I have to re-train a forty year old man to use his ghost powers thing makes it so that Danny spends a majority of his time with Vlad, so not much separation there.

Vlad freaked out about the whole half-ghost thing, by the way. Danny had to spend an hour explaining to him that no, they don't have ghost parasites sharing their body and yes, Vlad only survived his fall because they're immortal. The man took the information as well as one could expect; when Danny learned he would probably stop aging very soon and would have to watch his entire family and friends die, he cried like a bitch for three days straight. Locked himself up in his room and bawled into his pillow, then suppressed it like he does all of his traumas. Best to sweep that shit under the rug, so he doesn't end up obsessed with it like Vlad was. 

_"So I'm going to be alone," Vlad says, sounding so vacant and helpless that Danny's heart straight up cracks. How is this the man that tormented him for years? "I- I'm going to watch everyone die, Jack, Maddie, they're all going to leave me."_

_"Hey," Danny's quick to respond, not liking the edge in his voice, "I'll still be here. I'm immortal too, so you're stuck with me, fruitloop."_

_Danny cups Vlad's face, and it feels so weird. His chest is all warm and fuzzy and his hand is shaky, but Vlad's shoulders stop being tense so he considers this act of comofort a success. "Thank you, Daniel. Look at me, getting so worked up, I'm the adult, I should be comforting you, not the other way around._

_"I'm an adult too!" Danny pouts, and the man laughs. He huffs, withdrawing his hand. "Besides, I got over it a while ago."_

Okay. He kind of got over it. A little. But that's not exactly something he can focus on right now, since he's got a amnesiac billionaire ex-villain following him around like a puppy. 

It's been a little over a week, since Vlad returned home from the hospital and fortunately enough, he's remembering things. Little by little. First it was Maddison the cat's favorite meal and how to prepare it properly because Jazz was doing it wrong and, she won't eat it if you don't heat it up a little. Which had everyone teasing him about spoiling his kitty cat. Most of the begining memories were good ones, nice ones. Like how he easily got back into the swing of experimenting in the lab, laughing along side Mom and Dad.

That night was...weird. He seemed to be having so much fun, and then Dad said, _just like the old days, eh, Vladdie?_ And all of Vlad's muscles tensed. His eye twitched, as if the memory of a feeling just crashed into him, sending that pure, bright smiled Vlad away. But as quivckly as it happened, it left; the man shuddered and his eyes grew glossy. He couldn't look at Dad, nor Mom. Danny decided it was best to step in, before the two older Fentons pushed him too far, and led Vlad away from the lab. 

He spent the rest of the evening with Vlad latched to him like a squid, arms and legs wrapped around him as they watched The Bee Movie. Danny made him watch that a few years ago, when Mom would have Vlad babysit. "I hated this movie," the man snorted, "I never understood why you enjoyed it so much."

"Because you hated it," Danny supplied helpfully, grinning like the little gremling teen he is. 

"Of course."

He still hated the movie, conplained the entire time, but didn't ever let go. Danny assured his parents that it was fine and fell asleep reassuring Vlad that he wasn't going to be abandoned. 

After a while, though, the unpleasant memories started to sink their claws into the peaceful, somewhat domestic lifestyle they'd all grown adjusted to. Mom and Dad had to go home some time after all, and Jazz needed to go back to college. Danny was able to apply for Casper High's online program, so that he could stay and keep Vlad company. How could he not? The old fruitloop needed him, and the last thing Danny wanted to do is retraumatize Vlad by letting the guy be alone during his time of need. Again. 

Sometimes Danny would catch Vlad...staring at things. Just, completely gone. On occasion he'd explain why, like with the little room he and Danny had found while exploring. It was full of computers, notebooks, images tacked on the wall with notes written beside them. From what Danny saw, he guesses it was the room Vlad would go in to spy on his family. Everything was covered in dust, so he assumes it hadn't been touched in a while.

Well, everything except for the notebook Danny had picked up. He checked. The most recent entry had been a few days before Vlad's accident, so the book, unlike everything else, was still in use. And it was all about Danny, little notes and such. They started out creepy, long plans to obtain him and turn him into Vlad's evil appreciate or whatever. But the recent entries had all been, weirdly enough, kind of cute? In a way? Cute for the Vlad, anyway. 

**_xx / xx / xxxx ; 8:00 pm_ **

_Daniel's favorite food is star fruit. I honestly would've assumed it had been that awful burger joint he and his friends frequent, but according to him, he keeps his favorite foods for special occasions. For bad days, to make them a little less gloomy. It's...charming. And of course he'd like star fruit- he's obsessed with anything to do with space._

_...I need to get rid of this room. It's not right. Daniel trusts me now, even if it's only slightly. Everything I learned here, I took it from him. I didn't sit down and ask him what he does in his spare time or if he really uses those coloring books to destress like his sister suggested. I stole that information from him._

_But I can't. This- all this information, it's my trophies. My prized possessions. I cannot help but pride myself on knowing him better than anybody else. I can't bring myself to touch the security cameras anymore, I'm sure he found them and destroyed them anyways. But I can't get rid of them, either. He doesn't want me in his life, I know I should leave him be, but this is the only way I can be with him, can pretend we-_

_That's enough. I'll...I'll just, keep everything off. So long as I'm not spying on him any longer, I can keep researching. It's not stalking, like this._

_I just want to be close to him._

At least he was kind of trying to be normal. It's not like Danny can expect Vlad to change all of his habits, his ways of thinking, overnight.

Well. Unless the guy goes and forgets all of the shit he went through and caused. 

Anyways, Vlad stepped into the room and immediately froze. When Danny looked up from the notebook, the man's face had lost all color and his fists were clenched so tight that his knukles were turning white. Danny dragged him out of the room, asking a near mute Vlad if everything was alright- half knowing that they most certainly weren't.

All Vlad murmured, was a soft, "I don't want to go back in there. That was- I shouldn't have- how could I-...I don't want to go back in there."

So they didn't. Danny wants Vlad to remember things, not have a full on panic attack because he's not quite ready to come to terms with his past actions. He wishes he could just show Vlad all the good and throw out the bad, but that wouldn't be right. Not for anyone he's hurt, nor to hide things from his own life from the man. 

Other times, Vlad would close off. Danny found him once, holding that torn picture of himself, Mom, and Dad from back in college. His jaw was tight, eyes hard like they used to be and Danny was so afraid the man would take the picture and chunk it right at his head. But he looked up, met eyes with the younger male, and immediately softened. "...Let's go eat," Vlad had said, refusing to explain why he dropped the photo like it had burned him to touch it. 

Today has been relatively boring. Vlad is preparing for his check up, the doctors wanting to be sure his brain isn't swelling or anything like that. Danny's waiting by the doorway, tugging on the alien-print beanie Sam had gotten him for his birthday. He's taking a bit long, so Danny decides to go see if he's okay. Something feels wrong, chest filled with instinctive fear. As he approaches Vlad's room, the temperature seems to rise, sweat beading on his forehead.

Then, he realizes that yes, it is actually rising. Because Vlad has a fire core. Fuck. 

* * *

Flinging the door open, Danny finds Vlad standing in a room lit aflame, ashen chaos burning around the too still man. Sweat rolls down his neck, face already flushing from the heat; ice cores don't take to burning up too well. 

Vlad turns around, eyes a violent rose. They're hard, ice cold in comparison to the violet flames licking the walls, and his lips are back to that firm, permanent frown on his face. "Little badger," he says for the first time in weeks, fangs showing through his grimace. Danny's fumbling, looking for an explaination as to what possibly could've brought this on so quickly, and then-

Then it hits him. 

The hospital. Vlad looked so distressed before they came to pick him up, uncomfortable in a way he couldn't seem to understand. Any mentions of doctors or the check up sent the man into shut down mode, where he would end up walking on Dad's heels until he was told to stop. Then he'd move on to Danny, who woulf simply sigh and allow it to happen because honestly, it wasn't hurting anyone to let Vlad do what he needed to do to feel less alone and frightened. 

Damn it, he should've known something was up. Vlad hates hospitals, hates isolation and sickness and the fear of being stuck there forever. Of being weak and alone. Danny mentally slaps himself, gripping onto the doorway for stability. It just had to be the hospital that brought back his memories, not something nice. Ugh. "How much do you remember?"

"Enough," The man snaps, "do you pity me, Daniel?" 

Smoke fills the teen's lungs, limbs trembling as he coughs out, "N-no, Vlad- I feel sympathy for you." He wants to add, because I'm a human being with emotions, not a robot, but he'd rather not agitate Vlad more. His chest hurts, heart clenching from the fact that he might just lose those night, quite nights where Vlad would drink tea and watch movies with him. Oh, and because his lungs are genuinely struggling to breathe. 

Vlad pauses at Danny's hacking, breathes heavily out of his nose, and grabs the younger man by the wrist, dragging him out of the room. He flips a switch on the wall as he leaves, suggesting that this was a common occurance in the past. Danny wouldn't be surprised; Vlad can be...volatile, at worst.

He allows the boy to catch his breath by hanging his head outside the window, listening to the sound of water sprinklers dousing ectoplasmic fire in the other room. That's gonna be a bitch to clean up, though, he supposes Vlad probably won't have to worry about that. Money can buy many things, a cleaning crew being one of them. 

"They left me," Vlad mutters, getting his attention. Danny looks over his shoulder nervously, lungs still burning behind his ribcage. "I was trapped in that hospital, dying, for years. And they never once tried to come and see me."

Danny leaves the windowsill to sitdown beside Vlad, who's elbows are resting on his knees, head dipped. "I know," he says, because what else can he say? Hesitantly, his fingers make their way to Vlad's wrist. The man is shaking, from anger, sadness. Confusion and betrayal. 

"Why didn't you leave me?" Vlad looks up, and it's clear he doesn't remember everything. Not yet. "I have...these awful dreams, where you're struggling to get my hand off of your throat. Memories of watching you scream," He shudders, gripping himself harder and harder with every passing second, "of all people, you deserve to be the one to leave."

Swallowing, Danny lets his thumb sweep across the back of Vlad's hand. When that doesn't get him swatted away, he decides to be a bit more daring, sliding his palm there. "Everyone deserves a second chance. I wasn't going to reaffirm it in your head that everyone you love will leave you." 

"I don't deserve that and you know it."

"Maybe not," Danny shrugs, "but what can I expect you to do? Disappear? That wouldn't be very productive," he laughs a little, giving Vlad's hand a tight squeeze. A firm reminder that he's there. "To tell you the truth, I want to be here. You're the only other person who understands what this half-ghost thing is like and...well, when you aren't being a dick, you're kind of fun to be around."

That finally pulls a laugh out of Vlad, who leans back against the couch, looking tired. "I hate hospitals." 

"Yeah, well, we gotta make sure your brain isn't swelling. It's already too big, with that damn ego of yours," Danny lightly slaps his hand and Vlad smiles fondly at the boy, stormy blue eyes strangely soft. "You should probably get into some actual clothes, by the way. It's been weird to see you wearing anything other than suits these past few weeks."

Vlad nods lightly, working his jaw. Danny watches him leave to the other room, worry down from boiling, to a light simmer that sits underneath his skin. There's something they still haven't discussed, a shadow that's latched itself to Danny's back, weighing him down. He doesn't want to ask and possibly trigger another meltdown, but every time he's left with hid thoughts, the teen finds himself wondering.

Why didn't Vlad stop himself from falling?


	3. With You, Always

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uploading this super early in the morning bc i cant fall back asleep lol
> 
> the end is here, and i'm already workin' on my next story. i might end up scraping what i had planned for lullaby for a phantom and make some kind of conclusion, that way i dont just abandon the story. i've jist lost interest in it; tbh i suck at making long stories, i always get stuck or bored.

"That was awful."

"It was a check up."

"It was traumatizing. Daniel, I need comfort. You have to comfort me."

Snorting as Vlad crawls on top of him, pinning Danny between himself and the couch, the boy groans, "You're the biggest drama queen to ever exist," wrapping his arms around the older man. "A big ol' baby."

"Mm, I can live with that," Vlad responds, nuzzling into Danny's warmth. He sighs happily, and Danny stretches an uncomfortable amount to reach the remote on the coffee table, flicking on the TV. "What atrocity are you forcing me to watch now?"

"No one's forcing you to watch with me, fruitloop. And it's Shark tale," Danny smiles triumphantly when he's able to snatch a piece of candy from the candy bowel before Vlad can stop him. He unwraps the hard candy, one of those caramel ones you'd find in the bottom of your grandmother's purse, waiting for the previews that came out ages ago to finish playing. Popping it into his mouth, he ignores Vlad's squirming, who's moved his head from Danny's chest to beside Danny's own.

The movie plays on, Vlad probably napping since he hadn't made any comments on how awful the movie is. It really isn't a great one, but Danny has been watching it since childhood and it's honestly pretty funny, considering how all the fish look so...weirdly close to their actors. At some point, Danny turns to check on the old cheesehead, and much to his surprise, eyes stare back at him.

Danny swallows around his candy, heart beating a little harder than normal. They never did this kind of stuff before. It's normal for him to be kind of- well, embarrassed doesn't feel right, but what else could it be? It's not an uncomfortable feeling, despite the blockage in his throat. Blood rushes to his face. They're barely inches apart and all he can think about is how Vlad must smell the candy on his breath, how the tiniest lean would tell the older man how it tasted, too. 

"I'm glad," Vlad finally cuts the silence, and fuck, why does he have to be so smooth about everything? Suave, practiced, with his deep voice of silk. Danny's stumbling through life while Vlad is dancing, fingertips brushing black strands behind the teen's ear. "I'm glad we can be like this. Even if it took losing memories, I wouldn't change it for the world."

And Danny, ever so elegant, blurts out, "Shut up, we're watching Shark Tale, and you're being a sap. Shut up."

Vlad chuckles and Danny feels it, the vibrations in his chest. "I'm serious. When I remember how we used to fight, it's... it's like a nightmare. Like someone else is controlling me, and I wake up feeling so much hate and anger, like I did before the check up. I don't- I don't want to feel like that anymore." His thumb swips at Danny's reddened cheek, gently massaging it. Danny leans into the touch, shivering, not wanting to let go. "I like that I can hold you now. That you don't look at me like I'm a monster."

"Me too," Danny whispers, movie forgotten behind them. His fingers tighten, clutching Vlad's shirt. They're even closer now, noses brushing together. 

"Little badger..." Vlad's eyes flicker nervously, as one of Danny's hands leave his shirt to caress the hand on his face, "do you want this? Are you sure you wan-"

"You think too much," Danny cuts him off, pulling him closer by the collar of his shirt. "I want this."

And for a wonderful, beautiful moment, their lips meet. Vlad's are so soft, warm, and Danny can't help but feel insecure about his own being teeth-bitten. But Vlad is holding him, kissing him with such care, treating him less like the Phantom that saves citizens and more like those ceramic angels in old antique stores. It's so precious, and when they pull away, Danny realizes just how cold he feels without Vlad's lips on his own. 

It's a little weird. Their past is rocky at best, and Danny's really playing with fire here. A part of him is still afraid that Vlad is going to whip around, announce how Danny is a fool to have fallen for the memory loss act and a fool to think Vlad would ever love him, but the stronger half of him wants this so badly he can't help but cling to it.

A goofy smile spreads across his face, because fuck the awkwarndness of it all. "You just kissed your godson."

Vlad groans, rolling over onto his back. "Did you have to ruin the moment like that?"

"Yep!" Danny chirps, spooning his side, resting his head on Vlad'd broad chest. "You old pervert."

"Maybe I should revive my plans to kill you."

"But didn't you like kissing me, Vladdie?"

Huffing through his nose, Vlad responds, "I did, until you opened your mouth," though he smiles at Danny's cackling, rolling his eyes. "You and I both know we are far from that. Are you even legally my godchild, or does Jack just say that?"

"He probably just says it," Danny shrugs, then turns around, frowning. "You distracted me from my movie!"

"Good, it's awful."

"Guess I'll just have to..." His fingers inch over to the remote with a mischievous smile, "...rewind it..."

Vlad, not wanting to sit through another second of that movie, quickly distracts the boy with another kiss. And, well. It's pretty distracting. 

* * *

It's been a few months, and things have slowly turned into a new normal. Danny ended up fully moving in with Vlad, his parents budging when Danny mentioned how close Vlad's castle is to Wisconsin University, where Danny plans on going when the summer is over. 

They've been stumbling their way through their relationship, helping each other up when the other falls. Vlad still has a hard time with some of his memories, but he's been doing well coming to Danny about them, even when they hurt. Sometimes Danny will end up finding him drunk in his office, and they'll spend the rest of the night and usually the next day wrapped up around each other. It's been hard, adjusting to Danny's college schedule and Vlad's work schedule, but they've been doing well. 

One thing still haunts Danny. A heavy ghost he knows is weighing both of their shoulders down. He keeps thinking back to that day, when he sat in the hospital waiting room, wondering why Vlad allowed himself to fall. It couldn't have been a ghost virus, they checked when they got Vlad home. And the reason for such a thing has been creeping in the back of the boy's mind, a suspicion his sister had confirmed she also had. But how does one ask such a thing? He doesn't want to cross any lines or make Vlad more upset. 

Still, he needs to know. He can't help Vlad, when the man is relapsing hard and standing on the roof too often, if he isn't certain Vlad didn't cause his own accident. 

"I didn't jump," Vlad leans against the rail of his balcony, elbows resting atop it. It's a nice night, stars visible behind the thin clouds, moon large and bright. Still, Danny feels stangely cold, despite May creeping up on them. His fingers and toes are filled with static, pins and needles of anxiety poking at him repeatedly. "But I didn't catch myself, either."

"Why?" He's prodding, and maybe he shouldn't be. This is a personal subject, but the wound's still bleeding through Vlad's clothes and all Danny wants is to bandage it. "I- I don't understand. Why would you.." 

Shaking his head, Vlad straightens, grip on the cement underneath his hand as tight as Danny's throat. "I was tired, Daniel. I've spent my entire life chasing after someone that would never want me, building an empire in the hopes that if I made those walls strong enough, no one would ever tear them down again." He runs a calloused hand through his free hair, muttering something about it feeling heavy, before he continues, "I was sick of having to be the best, the strongest, to have everyone too afraid to dare trying to hurt me, and coming home to wonder why I was so alone. I pushed everyone away and I didn't know if there was any way I could fix it."

Danny blinks away the wetness in his eyes, willing himself to be strong because Vlad needs him right now. He remembers the month prior to Vlad's accident, how the man had been rather absent from his life. Even when Vlad wasn't planning something, he normally made it a point to find Danny and annoy him in little ways, always present somehow. And yet those days, Danny rarely saw him, and when he did, Vlad just ruffled his hair and told him he was far too busy to "play," only mildly irritating the teen before leaving. 

Where Danny had been worried- though, rightfully so- that Vlad was preparing some big scheme to hurt him again, Vlad had actually been realizing just how futile such a thing would be. And because he'd ripped apart every relationship he ever had, built up walls and burned bridges, he felt he had no one he could go to when he wanted to put an end to all this pointless fighting. Not even Danny, either because he felt like he didn't deserve the younger halfa's help or because he didn't think Danny would give it to him. 

So when Vlad was thrown off a building by one of the many ghosts haunting Amity Park, instead of going ghost to keep his skull from crushing against the pavement, he simply closed his eyes and let the air rush around him. 

"You can't do that," Danny chokes out, shaking a little now, "you can't- I don't care if you think you don't deserve my help. I'm giving it to you and," what is he supposed to say? That it's not fair for him to make himself a constant in Danny's life, make the boy fear leaving his parents alone, and then let himself die? Leaving Danny all alone in his existence, leaving Danny to wonder if they could've had something better. Does he shower Vlad with words of love he knows the man wouldn't have the trust to believe? "I want you here. I want you to be happy. Even if you hurt me, I don't want you to go away, I don't want you to rot in this stupid manor all alone."

"And if this all backfires on you? If this," Vlad turns around, gesturing to himself, "is all I'm capable of being? Some sad, pathetic old man, desperate to chain anyone at his side so that he may never feel abandoned ever again?"

Danny takes a few steps forward, determined eyes still locked on Vlad's, "First off, it won't. I know you're scared, and there are gonna be some bumps in the road...but you're trying. If you werent trying, I wouldn't be here, Vlad. I'm not some damsel in distress being manipulated by you, so you can stop hurting yourself trying to convince yourself that," he reaches over, taking Vlad's hand into his. Squeezing it tight with reassurance, "Secondly, I'm going to be here, if you like it or not. I'm going to take care of you, I'm going to make sure you feel loved, because too many people took you for granted so now you're having a hard time accepting it after years of fighting for it. I'm staying here out of my own volition, because I love you and I want to love you."

Vlad tugs him forward, wrapping his arms around the smaller man and burrowing his face in his shoulder. Danny feels the wet building in his eyes, trickling down his neck, and he runs a hand through that long, silver hair. The other is comfortingly rubbing circles between Vlad's shoulder blades, hushing him as he mumbles repeated I love yous into Danny's ear. Strong arms clinging to the boy like he'll disappear if he lets go. 

He hopes that some day, he can lean away and know that Danny will always be there, at his side, even when Vlad isn't looking. 

**Author's Note:**

> *sips vlad angst* mhm, yes. a break from whumping the boy.


End file.
